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As Day 95 of the infuriating work stoppage stretched towards Day 96 on Wednesday night, there was a lot of talk from both sides in the dispute.

Unfortunately it wasn’t to each other.

Prior to a star-studded shinnyfest at the old Maple Leaf Gardens where a charity game of 39 NHLers took place, NHLPA chief Donald Fehr extended a warm and fuzzy invitation to get back to the table — any time, any place, essentially.

Specifically, Fehr was following up on the suggestion from a player that meetings take place with NHL team owners back at the table, as they were for the sessions that ended badly two weeks ago.

“(We’re) happy to meet if there is a reason to meet,” Daly said via e-mail during the Team Stamkos vs. Team Subban game. “I don’t anticipate that will entail trying to reconstruct the groups that were in New York two weeks ago.

“As has been the case since the start of this process last June, the union has always been free to bring whoever it wants to meetings. I assume we are free to do likewise.”

Fehr was in Toronto for the charity event at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, three floors above the old Gardens surface, an exhibition featuring lineups heavy with Maple Leafs players to please the locals and raise money for grassroots hockey.

But for the feel-good story most want to hear about, that will have to wait. As will the prospects of saving a 48-game schedule, the minimum number of contests NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has said will be required to save the season.

Earlier on Wednesday, Daly acknowledged to Sportsnet Radio’s Hockey Central program that a drop-dead date for getting a season started hasn’t been set but “it is fair to say it is sometime in mid-January.” With the holidays coming, it doesn’t take much math to figure out that the opportunities to negotiate are rapidly wasting away.

As well, as a final pre-Christmas act, there’s a good chance more games will be scratched from the schedule before the end of the week.

Each side continues to blame the other, of course, a natural animosity that has carried over from the volatile talks in Manhattan that broke up on Dec. 6 after the NHLPA claimed a deal was near and Bettman erupted in denial.

The league and the players have not held any formal contact since a conference call Friday to discuss transition and compliance issues. And as of Wednesday night, none more were planned.

So why no talks?

“Because the owners have not indicated a desire to resume,” Fehr said Wednesday night when asked point-blank why the only discussion going on is both sides talking about the other. “We’ve indicated a number of times we’re ready to resume whenever they are, without preconditions.”

Like Daly, who acknowledged that the league and the game may have trouble winning back fans if and when the lockout ever ends, Fehr recognized the potential for lingering damage.

“Any time you have a dispute like this, any time you have the game not being played, any time you are preventing the fans from watching the sport they dearly love, it’s not a good thing,” Fehr said. “It has to be ended as soon as possible.”

The frustration has no limitations, it would seem. Players. The league. Fans.

While those at the Gardens on Wednesday had the chance to soak up the cool new venue and help raise money for charity and from a Toronto perspective, enjoy seeing Phil Kessel, Dion Phaneuf and Joffrey Lupul at the Gardens, the satisfaction was hollow. Instead, of playing the Calgary Flames in Game 2 of back-to-backs in Alberta on Wednesday, they were playing glorified shinny.

Instead of the potential for a Saturday night home date at the Air Canada Centre with the Montreal Canadiens, several of those Leafs were teammates with Montreal defenceman P.K. Subban.

As for Daly’s declaration to Hockey Night In Canada Radio earlier in the day that he still believes there will be a season, Fehr found at least one thing the two sides can agree on.

“That’s good news,” Fehr said prior to the game. “I’m glad to hear that. I certainly hope he’s right. That’s the players’ goal.

“Hopefully, we’ll get back together and negotiate out the remaining issues as soon as possible.”

NHL sides talk about ending lockout, just not to each other

As Day 95 of the infuriating work stoppage stretched towards Day 96 on Wednesday night, there was a lot of talk from both sides in the dispute.

Unfortunately it wasn’t to each other.

Prior to a star-studded shinnyfest at the old Maple Leaf Gardens where a charity game of 39 NHLers took place, NHLPA chief Donald Fehr extended a warm and fuzzy invitation to get back to the table — any time, any place, essentially.

Specifically, Fehr was following up on the suggestion from a player that meetings take place with NHL team owners back at the table, as they were for the sessions that ended badly two weeks ago.